Note: The dramatic action in this play does not flow in the same manner as that in Trifles, Wedding Band, Real Women Have Curves, and Split Second. For one thing, Mann has built her play around interviews with individuals who lived thru the incidents depicted in the play, such as friends of Milk, reporters who covered the trial, even jurors who spoke out after the trial was over. This approach to the construction of a play is unique and often challenging to readers. It generally works well on the stage but not so well in the study. We see another playwright use this technique with very different results in Fires in the Mirror. So, the questions posed about the construction of the play do not easily follow Ball’s method of analysis.
1. You may identify the stasis in the play but it isn’t necessarily at the beginning of the play. Where is it and who does it involve?
The stasis occurs before the murder of Mayor Moscone and Harvey Milk. Dan White works as a public official as do Milk and Moscone. However, they are on opposing sides of the spectrum. Milk and Moscone are leaders of the progressive movement while White represents the conservative party which is concerned about the “degradation of San Francisco”.
However, one could also make the case that the stasis occurs before the “twinkie defense.” The prosecution thinks this will be an easy case to argue. The defense presents the idea that White’s mental state was affected by his poor eating habits and therefore, he was incapable of thinking clearly and committed voluntary manslaughter as opposed to premeditated murder.
2. Ball points out that the intrusion sometimes occurs late in the dramatic action. What is the intrusion that breaks the stasis in Execution of Justice and how is it broken? The intrusion is the introduction of the twinkie defense where we see the jury begin to sway towards manslaughter as opposed to premeditated murder. The jury was not made up of Milk and Moscone’s peers and the defense conveys that the murder was a political act of passion and not an act of homophobic violence.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor that is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place? Hint: what is the heart of the play? How does the title figure in this? The heart of the play is that White only served 7 years in prison for the murder of two innocent men. The title can either refer to justice being carried out or it is a play on words and refers to justice itself being executed or slain. Ultimately, the criminal justice system failed Milk and Moscone as it has done to so many other men and women and should be reformed. This play was the first high profile murder of a member of the LGBT community. It was also a case of public officials being murdered in the US. Although the events of the play happened so long ago, this criminal justice system continues to fail so many people to this day.
4. State the dramatic questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrusion.)
How much time will Dan White get? Will the defense be able to make a case for insanity/mental illness? Why did White kill Milk and Moscone? Was the murder premeditated?
5. Use the two lawyers to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, ie. The dramatic actions that are taken. Examine what these particular characters wants. The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a character. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles facing each of the lawyers.
Ultimately, this play is about the gross mis-execution of justice, not just about the murder of Harvey Milk. I think the fact that it was such a high-profile case led the prosecution to get overly confident about convicting White. In this case, both lawyers fit under “me against society.” The prosecution needed to prove that the murder was indeed premeditated. They thought because White had carried a loaded gun in through the window of city hall that they could easily prove this. However, the defense managed to convince the jury that White had committed a crime of passion of sorts and was therefore only guilty of voluntary manslaughter.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Execution of Justice.
The most theatrical moment in Execution of Justice does not occur in the play. The murder of Milk and Moscone was the most theatrical moment and it is recounted on several occasions throughout the play. Some of the other theatrical moments of the play occur when White’s confession is played and the very end of the play where the verdict is read aloud. It leaves the audience feeling defeated because justice was not carried out properly in this case.
1. You may identify the stasis in the play but it isn’t necessarily at the beginning of the play. Where is it and who does it involve?
The stasis occurs before the murder of Mayor Moscone and Harvey Milk. Dan White works as a public official as do Milk and Moscone. However, they are on opposing sides of the spectrum. Milk and Moscone are leaders of the progressive movement while White represents the conservative party which is concerned about the “degradation of San Francisco”.
However, one could also make the case that the stasis occurs before the “twinkie defense.” The prosecution thinks this will be an easy case to argue. The defense presents the idea that White’s mental state was affected by his poor eating habits and therefore, he was incapable of thinking clearly and committed voluntary manslaughter as opposed to premeditated murder.
2. Ball points out that the intrusion sometimes occurs late in the dramatic action. What is the intrusion that breaks the stasis in Execution of Justice and how is it broken?
The intrusion is the introduction of the twinkie defense where we see the jury begin to sway towards manslaughter as opposed to premeditated murder. The jury was not made up of Milk and Moscone’s peers and the defense conveys that the murder was a political act of passion and not an act of homophobic violence.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor that is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place? Hint: what is the heart of the play? How does the title figure in this?
The heart of the play is that White only served 7 years in prison for the murder of two innocent men. The title can either refer to justice being carried out or it is a play on words and refers to justice itself being executed or slain. Ultimately, the criminal justice system failed Milk and Moscone as it has done to so many other men and women and should be reformed. This play was the first high profile murder of a member of the LGBT community. It was also a case of public officials being murdered in the US. Although the events of the play happened so long ago, this criminal justice system continues to fail so many people to this day.
4. State the dramatic questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrusion.)
How much time will Dan White get?
Will the defense be able to make a case for insanity/mental illness?
Why did White kill Milk and Moscone?
Was the murder premeditated?
5. Use the two lawyers to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, ie. The dramatic actions that are taken. Examine what these particular characters wants. The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a character. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles facing each of the lawyers.
Ultimately, this play is about the gross mis-execution of justice, not just about the murder of Harvey Milk. I think the fact that it was such a high-profile case led the prosecution to get overly confident about convicting White. In this case, both lawyers fit under “me against society.” The prosecution needed to prove that the murder was indeed premeditated. They thought because White had carried a loaded gun in through the window of city hall that they could easily prove this. However, the defense managed to convince the jury that White had committed a crime of passion of sorts and was therefore only guilty of voluntary manslaughter.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Execution of Justice.
The most theatrical moment in Execution of Justice does not occur in the play. The murder of Milk and Moscone was the most theatrical moment and it is recounted on several occasions throughout the play.
Some of the other theatrical moments of the play occur when White’s confession is played and the very end of the play where the verdict is read aloud. It leaves the audience feeling defeated because justice was not carried out properly in this case.